The opposition claims the president hurried parliament to herd MPs into voting for a partial amnesty in order to stop activists occupying government buildings in Kyiv and elsewhere.

The amnesty bill passed late on Wednesday but it has done little to ease tensions which increased after the prime minister’s resignation earlier this week.

Things appear to be getting worse following the president’s decision to go on sick leave with an acute respiratory ailment, although he did meet the EU’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton on Wednesday.

Some opposition figures say they suspect Yanukovych, 63, might be simply giving himself breathing space after being forced into concessions to try to end the protests.